Rise of the Phoenix
by DarkTaoAngel
Summary: Summery: One last chance, at a risk. Love means everything, especially if it is the only way to bring the one you love the most back. But what if you stopped loving them? Sad beginning, rated for complicated plot and violence. Please R&R!
1. Catastrophic Flames

DarkTaoAngel: I DO NOT OWN SHAMAN KING! That should be enough for the next few chapters, so if I magically receive the copywrite for Shaman King, I will be sure to let you all know! Another new story, so as always, please R&R!

He had gone as quickly as he had come, in a rise of flames, which left behind ashes. Burnt by the very fire that was his emblem, scorched by the heat of the fire. The necklace with which he had worn on his neck remained, all else was gone in a sea of flames.

She leaned towards the necklace, picked it up, and clenched it as if it was the only thing left; her only inner peace was with that necklace. She unhooked the clasp and refastened it around her own neck, as a reminder of him, although he was gone.

She sat there, unable to stand up, staring at the spot where he had left. Little more than a minute had passed, as flames formed a circle around all that was left alive. She was lucky, her fate not yet sealed, as the flames engulfed all around her, as though in a mere dream, not to be felt, just seen.

The fire surrounded her, threatening to close in on her, but she could not fight back, the fire had immobilized all that stood around the place where she lay. It was all a dream to her, nothing more, for surely if it were real, it would have been a living nightmare, but it wasn't. for some reason she wasn't afraid, even with him gone, because of stupidity, hope, or maybe more, a force uncontrollable. Something was keeping her there, something she could not explain, invisible, yet so vivid, imaginary, yet so very real to her.

Maybe she was delusional, heat exhaustion could be the reason, and yet, as she slipped past the very fabric of reality, she felt as though she heard a voice, calling her. Wanting to answer she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came, and even if she could talk she would not, for there was nothing for her to say.

He had gone as quickly as he had come, so why did she have no fear; what was the reason for her calmness, her deep concentration? There was nothing left of her except for hope; the fire had taken away all of her other emotions, along with the ones whom she loved dearly. Her hope was what kept her alive, it was also the reason that she could keep her sanity, for all others had perish for overwhelming fear.

Unbelieving of what was happening; she just kept listening to the voice, giving it trust, in hopes that it could somehow give her the courage she needed to end the pain that surrounded the barren wasteland in which she bestowed her faith.

The voice grew stronger as her thoughts grew more hopeful, to the point where she could swear it was right in front of her. The flames died down slowly, to reveal many people who had survived only by fighting the one that had started all of this, the one whom had caused all of the never-ending and possibly irreversible pain and misery.

As many more fell into the flames, dieing on contact, the flames rose up higher, towering far above her normal range of vision, obscuring that which was the only source of hope for millions, keeping them, like her, from slowly slipping into darkness, leaving the mortal world only to come back as allies to those still fighting. Many people died that day, but she lived, she lived so as to give the rest of the world hope, and to bring back those who had died to save her.

She sat there well into the next day, unnoticed by those who were fighting still, and still following the voice that acted as a guide to her safety and his as well. She waited with hope in her heart, and that hope helped her survive.

She waited for the voice to grow stronger, to give her another sign, but eventually it started to leave, not fully, but to the point where she had to strain her ears to hear it. It was still scratchy, but it was there, even if it was barely distinguishable to her.

It was then that she heard another voice, a stronger one that blew the fiery first voice away, as though it were make of smoke. This newer, and much more solidified voice came out to her, calling her name so vividly. She knew that voice, though it was not the one she was trying to hear right now, she was still happy for a familiar sound to penetrate the grievance, and give her a signal that it was all over.

"Pirika!" the voice shouted from the distance, calling to her once again. It was recognized immediately as that of one of her friends, whose name was Yoh Asakura, and he was undoubtedly coming to take her away from such a horrible place she should not have been to in the first place.

He fought past the flames to reach her, battered by the fire, tears in her clothing, and a blank, helpless look on her face, but still alive, that was good news. He picked her up, carried her out of the line of fire, and there she met the remainder of those unable or not wanting to fight, those whom had escaped before it was too late.

Yoh had questions to ask her before he fought the flames once again, looking to find and save more people; one of the most important ones was regarding the person she had been with when she had come there. Before she could tell him, before she could stop him, he asked her the dreaded question, with which the answer she knew, but did not want to know.

"Pirika, where's Ren?"

DarkTaoAngel: Another weird beginning, but I read it afterwards, and I am fully satisfied with the outcome, it turned out the way I wanted it to. If you have questions, feel free to ask them in your reviews, because I know my fist chappies can be quite questionable. Thanks for reading; this is going to be a long fic!


	2. Disorderly Prevail

DarkTaoAngel: I hope you reviewed my last chapter, and bear with me, as the next chapters will not be as long as the first one was. I thank you all for reading; this will be a long story, so keep reading!

Pirika swayed on the spot, unable to fully support herself, and fell to the ground, not painfully, but enough to keep her there for a while. Tears slowly obscured her already blurred vision, staining her clothes that were already coated in blood with the salty substance, but none of that mattered to her at this moment. She was thinking about what Yoh had said, and she knew the answer, but it was hard to get out in words because it made the statement sound final, as though he could never come back. Choking back further tears that threatened to leak out, she uttered those words, unable to say them without getting a raspy throat, as tears flowed freely down her face now.

"H-he isn't here… h-he was… defeated…." She put less emphasis on the last word than the others, which was barely audible, little more than a whisper.

She wished she had not said anything after she had, because of the reaction of those that had heard was almost as unbearable as witnessing it as she had so painfully done only a day ago. The truth was as she had said it, he had been defeated by Hao, Yoh's twin, and the Yin to his Yang, who was trying, and succeeding to become the Shaman King, to everyone else's disapproval, where no one could do anything.

Everything went silent at Pirika's statement. Powerful and unbelievable words, especially because the Ren they had known would have never admitted defeat, let alone to someone more powerful than him. But on the other hand, they knew to trust the words that she said, because they were often true, and this was no exception.

They would have questioned Pirika more than they did, but just when they were going to continue a maniacal laugh filled the air, sounding the start of Hao's rule over earth. Yoh and the others, many against their free will, jumped into battle with him, leaving Pirika alone, hurt, and grieving.

This continuous silence gave her much time to think, about what had happened to her earlier, about Ren, and about the voice that she had heard calling out to her. She was not even all too sure how she had gotten there, or where she was for that matter. All she remembered is her, Yoh, Horo, and Ren came to the 'Soul Underworld' or something like that, where they fought Hao and she watched, having only come there in the first place because she was with Ren when the call for him came. She had no choice but to stay there because there was no way for her to get back without Ren.

She clenched the necklace that was still tied around her neck. It was in the shape of a small bird with outspread wings, silver in color, with a single word engraved on the back, but Pirika could not make out what it said. As she looked down at it she felt like she would cry once again, but no tears formed, due to the fact that the sadness in her heart could not be expressed by emotions, only by thoughts, which all involved horrific scenes from earlier in the battles and unseen blood. What had happened to him only she knew, but if it were up to her, she would not have to know, and she fully wished she hadn't had to be around to watch it. She knew he was dead, she had watched it happen herself, but even now she didn't believe it, more that she hoped against all odds that it would all have been just a dream, one that she could wake up from any time now.

The fighting started to sound in the background, but Pirika ignored it, her thoughts of Ren were all that she was preoccupied with at the moment. Blasts being fired from both ends sending many flying backwards, bleeding profusely landing roughly on the hard pebbled ground, only to get back up fighting again.

_If only he were here, this would all be different, everyone would be happy and the fighting could end. The blood shed would stop and the darkness would almost all go away. He left and now everything is a disaster, and I never got to say that I loved him..._ Pirika thought, still keeping her never-ending hope, and praying that the voice would come back and tell her what she should do next.

No voice came however, and the fighting came to as Hao was defeated by a last minute blow delivered by Yoh. No trace of him was left behind, and many thought he had just disappeared from the face of the earth. Many people died, the ground coated in blood, but the fact that Hao was gone made everyone at ease, safe once again. Pirika, Yoh and the others that had survived made their way out of the 'Soul Underworld' and back to wherever they lived, to greet their families when they got back.

Pirika was still troubled by what had happened to Ren, and both her dreams and her waking hours were spent thinking of him, but it could not be helped by anyone. Though the others tried to snap her out of the trancelike state she was in, and tell her it was all over now, she still believed that it really wasn't.

She wanted to hear that strange voice again, because she thought it could have had something to do with Ren, but for now she kept the necklace because of him, keeping her hope along with it.

DarkTaoAngel: Kinda weird ending, but the next chapter is going to be a flashback, so it will be weirder. Hope you liked it, and please review, your reviews mean so much to me; thank you for expressing your feelings towards my work!


	3. Haunting Shadows

DarkTaoAngel: Thanks to all those who reviewed, I appreciate it, and I hope you will all do the same for this chappie as well! This one is like a flashback, so it will explain a lot. The next on will be confusing, but it will be covered later!

The next few days were filled with sorrow for Pirika, she could not seem to get over it, and even with the little hope she kept alive. He was gone, nothing she could do about it, but something kept pulling at her heart, telling her that it was all her fault, and only she could bring him back. She was loosing her hope to the shadows, no chance left for recovery, and she could feel the pain he had felt; only she still could feel it, stronger than any pain should be felt.

The bitter cold of the now solitary nights was overwhelming. She felt the strength draining out of her body, threatening to pull her into the darkness. She did not feel the warmth she had felt only once before, with him. He may not have seemed so special to her at the time, but she now realized that he was the source of her warmth, the light that kept her alive. She had no light, no warmth, only cold, bitter thoughts, thoughts that made her weak. She did not want to be weak, but without him, what was the reason for her to be strong?

The nights cold like ice, the days the same, she stayed isolated in her room, wanting with all her heart for it to end, so she could feel warm again. She had felt this kind of cold chill only one other time, long ago, when the heat of a loved one was much needed to her, and he had been her fire.

FLASHBACK

She walked silently through the streets of town, going nowhere in particular, just looking for something that could help her. She had waited for that something for a long time now, but to no avail. She was walking in the snow wearing little more than summer clothes, but the cold had not started to fully bother her yet. Her mind raced as the whole world seemed to be against her, no one could make her feel as good as she was before.

Her parents had just been killed by Hao only the previous week, sacrificing themselves so as to ensure that her brother Horo and she escaped unharmed. They had been on her mind constantly, in wake and in sleep, to the point where she would do anything to relieve some of the everlasting pain.

Blood filled her dreams, screaming for help, pain was the only feeling there was to her after that. Her mothers pleading voice as her father rose to the challenge of fighting Hao, only to lose both of their lives to him.

She walked the still streets, trying to get rid of some stress, the cold slowly engulfing her, coming in individual pangs. She wondered if her brother ever felt like this, especially right after they died, he had felt some pain, but not this much. Her brother was a year older than her, sixteen to be exact, and he did not show that he still felt sad, not even to her. It was only to be expected, he was older, but she was sad and showed it, even when there were people around. She could not help it, so she went on walks like this to hide her feelings whenever she felt like crying.

Tears filled her eyes as she thought about it, she always cried nowadays, especially when she thought about the memory their deaths. The crying did not cease as she walked, so she decided to just let the tears flow from her eyes until she got back home.

The bitter cold of winter was finally getting to her now; she started to shiver as it nipped at her bare skin. She just ignored it as she walked, but it still continued to bother her.

It was then that he appeared, almost out of nowhere, walking the streets as she was. She did not see him right away, so she bumped into him as she was walking. As they collided he could tell she was cold, she was shivering and her skin was freezing. He had prepared for the chill of winter by wearing a jacket, but she must have been in a hurry to have not. He felt sorry for her, so he took of his jacket and wrapped it around her, providing protection against the cold.

She suddenly stopped shivering, and looking up she saw him smiling down on her. She blushed rapidly, trying her best to hide it. For once in days she felt happiness, the kind that she needed to recover from the sadness.

She knew who he was, a friend of her onii-chan, his name was Tao Ren, but she had never really met him before. Now she truly realized her feelings for him, he was caring and she hoped he liked her as she did him, but he could have just felt sympathy, so she did not dare tell him how she felt about him.

She was about to thank him for the jacket, however, when he walked away without another word. She did not know why, but he must have had a reason for rudeness, besides, she would not care anyway, she would still like him.

She returned the jacket to his room at the Asakura house where they were staying just as he had given it to her, in silence, as he was not there yet, and went back to what she was doing, happier than before.

END FLASHBACK

Pirika thought about this memory for quite some time before coming to a conclusion, the only way to get Ren back. She would have to resort to desperate measures, but she would end up getting to see him again, and that she needed desperately.

She ran down the streets and back to the Asakura house, where she was staying again, and formulated how she would get to the place where she needed to be, and for that she needed something of Anna's, her itako beads.

DarkTaoAngel: How was it? Not my best chapter, but in a few more chapters it will become clear as to why she needs Anna's beads. For now it might take a while before the next chapter comes up, until then please R&R my other fics!


	4. Fire Emblem

DarkTaoAngel: New chapter, yay! Only sixteen more to go and it sounds worse when you actually say it…. Anyway, I hope you R&R because it makes me type faster, and let me know how you feel about my stories in said reviews!

The next day was spent plotting and planning in Pirika's case, as she wondered how she would get Anna's beads, and even how to use them. She had a vague idea, so she built off of that, and she figured that she would have to take them when Anna was sleeping. Easier said than done, though, she either wore them to bed, or put them in an undetected place for safekeeping. Pirika thought it over and she soon enough came up with a way to find them.

As the hours went by that day, the rest of the inhabitants at the Inn went slowly to sleep, including Anna, whom had set her beads on a dresser next to her bed, easy enough for Pirika, so she snatched them up without another word before she herself was to go to sleep. She did not go to bed however; she had far more important things to do, and little time in which to do them in.

She scurried out of the house, careful not to disturb any of the people who were sleeping inside as she stepped out, and walked along in the cold, dark and silent night. She came across no sign of life, so she could walk more briskly in order to get to the place she intended to go. There was no specific address, but there could not be people in the vicinity, so she had to search for the appropriately secluded terrain.

She walked along the deserted roads, cold but not bothered by the weather, until the time she found the place she was looking for. It took the duration of a few hours, but she finally came across a perfectly still place, in the midst of a forest, surrounded by thick, bushy trees which covered much of the sky overhead.

It took her a while to fully learn how to use Anna's itako beads, teaching herself slowly into the night, but she had a lot of time to learn, so she was in absolutely no hurry. She took all of the time she needed, and she seemed to need a lot of it, so it took a few hours before she learned how to use Anna's beads without chanting an incantation, because she did not know any.

When the motions of the spell had been fully achieved by Pirika, she was finally ready for the task ahead. There was only one way to bring Ren back, and she would do anything, even this one thing, to see him again. Even if it was only for a day, even an hour, she was getting desperate and she was completely prepared to do whatever it took.

When time came at last, which was around three hours after Pirika had begun, she had finally found the right motions. She had tried it quite a few times, and was completely confident that it would all work in her favor. Though what she was doing was extremely dangerous, she did not once stop to think about the after effects of this task.

She had come thus far, and everything had worked, so she proceeded as planed, fitting each piece of the whole picture carefully, so as not to make a mistake. When the time was right, she set off to work, making sure that no one was around to stop her.

She did as was planned, checking one last time that there were no people around, and took out the itako beads. She raised them sharply above her head, careful to be precise with her swaying of the glass beads, and making sure not to drop them, as they were wet with the perspiration that came with her hard work.

She turned and swung the beads thusly, coming to a halt she chanted the itako prayer that Anna had taught her so very long ago, which she had heard so often that she had memorized it all.

"One I place for my father, two I place for my mother, three I place for my brothers back home. Here I offer my flesh to aid your soul's release…." She was not quite sure if this was the exact phrase, or even if she was able to say it. Maybe only Anna could use this chant, but she had to be sure before she just gave up. It must have been working, though, because she went into a kind of trance upon saying the last part of the chant. She knew what was going on in the real world, but she could also communicate directly with the spirit world as well, and find any spirit that has even been called to heaven.

She knew the next step almost before she had time to rack her brain for the memory of what Anna had said to her. This Pirika knew she could do, and she could do it even if she did not have Anna's help. All she had left was to call on the spirit with which she needed, and she knew exactly who she needed. She would call Ren if she could, but she did not know how, because he had died a very strange death. She did not know where he was now, or how to summon him, he might not have even moved on now. His spirit had probably been sealed away by Hao when he had died, so she needed to unlock it. The person she needed would bring him back, no matter what if she gave him what he wanted. She would if she had to, and she was ready to do what it would take. She took a deep breath, prepared to call on the one no one would expect her to.

"I call on the spirit of Hao Asakura!"

DarkTaoAngel: I came up with this chapter a long time ago, and decided that Ren's spirit got locked away, but I will not tell you where! What this means is that it is in a place where even the most experienced itako can not reach. If you have any questions, please ask in a review!


	5. Consuming Darkness

DarkTaoAngel: Hi! Another chapter and still interesting, right? I certainly hope so, because I am going to have twenty chapters if all goes as planned, so be prepared for a long story that takes quite a while to write, and as always, R&R, even if you do not like it, but no flames please!

Pirika stood there waiting for something to happen. The wind started to pick up, bringing a sure sign of bad weather with it as well, but she was confident that something would happen. She knew that even if she could not bring Ren back by itako spells, Hao would know how to revive him, after all, he was the evil one who had killed him in the first place. She did not want to resort to such drastic measures, but she only had thoughts of Ren in her mind, and she needed to see him again even if she had to give up something to get to that point.

As Pirika called the name of the person she wanted to resurrect, blue flames suddenly appeared out of the semi-darkness. They glistened in a menacing sort of way, as though made of liquid gas, shimmering in the light that protruded from the moon. They appeared one at a time, until five shining orbs gleamed in front of their summoner, illuminating all of the features upon her face. They let of a mourning kind of noise, much like a bird crying, a phoenix, as they linked together to form a mass of spirit energy. The energy looked like nothing more than that of an amoeba-like blob, though radiantly beautiful in the darkness, where it and the moon where the only light sources. That newly made spirit blob took form, shaping and molding itself until it formed an image of Hao himself. It seemed that Pirika had accomplished her goal; Hao was back to life once again, his spirit now fully summoned back to the earth.

He looked around, but did not seem either scared, or befuddled, which was what Pirika was at that moment, though she was glad that her plan had succeeded. The strangeness of the scene seemed to wear off, as Hao fully realized what was happening. The world was his to take once again, and so was the King of Spirits ready for the capture.

He cocked his head to one side and, upon seeing Pirika silently standing there, and laughed his malicious laugh, understanding fully what she had done for him. He looked quickly at the itako beads, knowing that they were Anna's because she was the only one who had them in this part of Tokyo. He could read minds, so he knew who she was and why she was there, though he could not care less about her. He could have come back on his own if he had wanted to, in due time, but he was also thankful for her services, she would make a good accomplice to him, and that was exactly what he intended on doing with her.

The dead silence was quite awkward to Pirika, but she dared not speak up to Hao, what with the reputation he was known to uphold. All the while he was formulating evil plans in his mind, especially now that he could finally exact his ultimate revenge on Yoh.

He had Pirika to thank for that; after all, it was she who had brought him back, knowing only too well that she was endangering all whom she loved in the process. He would repay her somehow, but for now he had much to plot and plan, and little time to do so as the Shaman Tournament came back on, and Yoh came closer to growing much stronger than he.

As he turned to leave, Pirika asked him whether or not he would help her, as she too knew he could read minds, so she need not tell him why she was there. He chuckled again, this time louder and more emphasized, and told her that he would repay her efforts, but there would indeed be a price. She knew that there would, there always was with him, but she did not mind. She told him that she would give anything to get Ren back, and Hao said that in a few days time he would pay her a visit, bringing with him the secret of how to revive the one she loved dearest. She would wait, as long as it took until the fated day came, and she did not mind that it would be just a little longer than she had hoped.

Hao called forth his ally, the Spirit of Fire, mounted and took off, not taking another glance at Pirika as he road off into the night. She knew that she should not have trusted him; he would probably just ignore her request and never give her what she wanted most, but something told her that she could count on him, something in his eyes. She could tell a person was telling the truth if they made eye contact, but he might have just been looking through her, she did not know, but she still had the feeling that she could let him into this world, that he was to be trusted. And Pirika knew in her heart that she would get Ren back only with his help, though it was hard to admit it to herself. And as the saying goes, drastic times call for drastic measures.

DarkTaoAngel: It was not my best chapter, but I could not give away any more than I did, due to the fact that I am going to put it all in chapter eight. The next two chapters are going to be about Ren mostly, and they will give away a lot of details about the key to this story. Read please, even if it is really long, because I promise it will have a nice ending, even though I can not give it away!


	6. Outcome Unknown

DarkTaoAngel: Another chapter, and a very important one to the plot! Though it will not be very well written, it is a needed chapter. I hope you all have and will review, and read until the end!

Meanwhile, in the 'Soul Underworld', the place in which the battle with Hao had been, something appeared from the ashes. A glistening light filled the atmosphere, swirling the remaining dust into the air. Finally it could be seen, not fully, but just enough to know it was there, little more than a transparent type of being, most likely a soul trying to get to heaven.

No one was there to see it as it searched for something among the battle grounds, its true identity remained unknown. After looking around the entire place it gave up on that spot, only one last place for it to look, and so it began moving towards that place.

Where it ended up was Japan, just outside of a large mansion type of house, all along the way its spirit became more distinguishable, until _he_ could be identified. Only those who had known him would recognize his soul, but he did not seem to want to be seen by anyone, so he kept hidden.

He checked throughout the house, searching for someone or something that was important to him in some way. He did not need it; he just wanted to know where it was, and who had it.

He stumbled upon many rooms that were unoccupied, but none held what he wanted, so he moved on quickly so as not to let the other occupants of the Inn know that he was there.

Finally he came across the room with which it was hidden, and whose room should it be in but Pirika's. He knew her quite well, and he still had not let on his feelings to her, but now he had vowed not to be seen, until that fated day.

He looked into the room and saw it, that necklace. _Everyone just thought it was a normal necklace, so why on earth did she keep it all this time?_ He thought to himself.

Truth was that he had liked her and had kept it a secret, now he was dead, and he could not tell her, but he had a plan, and if all went as he had anticipated, then it would all work. He still did not know if he could pull it off, but he had to try, or else he could never tell her, not that he thought his feelings would be returned, but he hoped that they were.

Now that he had all of the proof he needed, it was up to Pirika to figure out the rest without his help. He thought that she could, but he would be back later to check on her.

As he thought of this he looked up and noticed that Pirika had just come into the room, so it was his cue to leave, so she would not see him. He took one last glance at her before leaving with a pop that made her look to the window.

She could just see something out of the window, and she thought she knew what it was, but it was impossible because the person she thought she had seen was dead, and he would have gone to heaven by now anyway.

But the more she thought about it the more she wondered if it really _was _him, coming to see her. She shook on this last though, knowing only too well that the Ren she had known would never do that for her. She shook those thoughts out of her head and went back to what she was doing, but she looked once more out of her window, making sure that he was not there. She thought that she could just see him smiling at her when she looked, but then he was gone.

As Ren left the Inn with the information that he had gained, he went back to the place he had been before, the 'Soul Underworld' to think.

_So, she had my family's necklace. I hoped that it would be someone else whom I would get stuck with, but maybe it will work out as planned. _He though, blushing slightly, luckily no one was there to see him. He might hide his feelings to all people, but he had planned on telling her, then he got called to fight Hao, and he never got to say it.

He knew that she had seen him, though he did not care even the tiniest bit. He had wanted to stay hidden from everyone, but he thought he had seen her smile a little bit as he left, so he had to smile back to her.

Thinking of this incident reminded him of one other occasion, when he had first really started liking her, though that was the only time she had ever showed some sign of liking him too. It was when he had run into her, quite literally, and she had seemed so cold, and he had offered her his jacket.

She had told him later on just why she had not been prepared for the snow, and he wished that he could have comforted her more than he had, but she did not know that he wanted to, and he did not know if she liked him. After that he had fallen almost in love with her, but forbidden himself from saying so, and that had only led him to use the necklace's power, to find out.

He wondered if she did like him, but why else would she keep his necklace if she did not know about the curse that came with it? Nobody except his family and he had known, and he had only just found out, so Pirika could not have known before him.

Ren had not wanted her to find the necklace, just because of the fate that awaited all who found it….

DarkTaoAngel: This one was a hard chapter to write, so forgive me if it sounded kind of strange. Other than this, if there is anything you wish to comment on, put it in a review!


	7. Fiery Past

DarkTaoAngel: This chapter is a flashback, so it may seem kind of strange, but I tried to explain it as best I could. Please R&R again, especially if you have not already!

The fate that was held within the necklace of Ren's ancestors was true to all those that touched it. Ren remembered when he had first seen the necklace….

FLASHBACK

He had been training outside of the huge mansion that was his house, currently working on strength training with his weights. He had been lifting fifty pound weights, but they seemed too light to him now, and so he when in the house to get heavier ones.

He had been told that the weights were kept in the attic, though he did not dare question his 'dear uncle' of why. He left for the attic, which was so crammed with junk that he could barely see where he was going.

There were many boxes littering the floor, filled with old family possessions, all of which uninterested Ren most definitely. He finally found the weights, after quite some times worth of searching, and was on his way out when he tripped on a small box.

He looked down at the box with wonder rather than the hate with which he looked at most things. Inside of the box was but one small item, filling a large percentage of the box itself. He picked it up carelessly, looking at it thoroughly, seeing a bird depicted upon its surface. There was also a small word inscribed on its back, though Ren could not read its old printing. He wondered why on earth his ancestors would possibly keep an old necklace, though it did interest him a little bit.

He pocketed the piece of finely carven jewelry, intending on asking Jun about its purpose whenever he found her. He picked up the weights, ninety pounds this time, and left that most eerie place.

It so happens that he should run into his sister just as he was leaving the attic, and upon seeing her he immediately asked her about the old family necklace.

She was shocked at first that he could actually find it in such a place, but she proceeded to tell Ren about its history in the family.

"Its sole purpose is to destroy, using the one thing that the Tao family hardly has, love. If anyone should die wearing this necklace then their spirit will be locked away, unable to go to heaven, where only one person can break the spell. Anyone the person loved has to love him back, and if their love is true and unbreakable, then they will be reincarnated. If their love should fail however, then the other person shall have the same fate as the necklace-bearer, and disappear into shadows, their soul locked away as well." Jun had only heard this tale once before, it having happened to a Tao long ago. She sighed and told Ren to take it back to the attic, and then she left him alone.

He fully meant to take it back, but he thought that it might come in handy with the fight against Hao, and it would be a good test to see if the one he loved loved him back. He did not think that it was all true anyway, Jun usually stressed the truth, and he did not care if his soul was locked away, as it already was now. He felt thoroughly trapped now, and even though he had friends, when he really needed someone he tended to push them away.

There was only one person he liked to be around, and she did not even know. He had never told her, so he could not really be around her as much. Pirika, his friend Horo's sister, was the one to whom he liked. She had only been his envision of happiness for a month now, and he already could say that he loved her. He had absolutely no control over his emotions, and he himself could not say why he liked her as he did.

He was snapped out of his musing by the horrible crashing sound that emitted from the weights that he had so carelessly dropped just now. He muttered something crude under his breath before picking them up. He checked to see if the necklace was still in his pocket before he walked out of the attic stairway and back out to train once again, acting as if nothing had even happened.

ENDFLASHBACK

Though he still wanted to know what was written on the back of the necklace, it did not seem to be anything interesting to him, so he just ignored it all the while he had worn the necklace, hoping to prove that the curse was untrue, and then he was planning to give it to Pirika as a gift.

He had worn it for quite a while, even when he was called to fight Hao. He had been watching Pirika for Horo when he was called for the fight, and he had to take her with him on Horo's orders. No one knew that he was thoroughly enjoying his time with her, and he had to painfully watch her distress when he had died. He wished that he could help her, but he did not want to risk being seen more than possible. He had wished that she had left the accursed necklace as is, so as not to have anyone else suffer. Now he just had to hope with all of his heart that she would somehow have liked him as he did her, though the odds were against him.

He would see her again hopefully; otherwise her fate would be sealed as well as his, and to see her die because of his foolish mistake would be unbearable for him.

DarkTaoAngel: Though it could have been longer, it summarized a lot of the story in only one chapter. The next chapter will be totally different from this one, so it might take a while to get back to the necklace.


	8. Forgotten Life, Forgotten Love

DarkTaoAngel: This story is really skipping around, but back to Pirika at last! Thanks to all those who reviewed, I really appreciate it, even if I do not address you all individually, and I hope you continue with your reviewing!

Pirika awaited Hao's return for many days, all the while musing over her proposition with him. She had deeply loved Ren, and she wanted to bring him back to tell him that she did, but as the days went by without him, she Pirika began to rethink all of the previous week's events. The more she thought, the more things came into her head that would have seemed wholly unwelcome all of the previous week.

She began to wonder whether or not she really loved Ren, as she had only known him for a little while after all. And although she wanted to stop these thoughts from coming to her, she sometimes told herself that this was what she had thought all along.

Loving someone could only end in pain, either way, especially with Ren. He never had loved anyone, and she knew she had no chance with him, even from the start. She would probably save some energy, and time, by not bothering to bring him back. Even thinking about it made her feel guilty, however, and so she was stuck between what was right and what was easiest for her to do.

She might not have truly loved him; it might have all been just a thoughtful wish, one to hide herself behind, though she did not know. She at least wanted to know what Hao had to say before she made the final decision.

Nothing Hao ever said that he would do came without a catch, and she knew this one time was no exception to the rule. If it was something fatal to anyone she knew, than the answer was definitely no. She may have loved Ren, but maybe she never would anymore.

This whole experience had fully changed Pirika's outlook on life, and now she was seeing new people, and doing more social things with her time. She still never forgot him, but she began dating again, and his memory seemed to slip away.

She refused to devoid herself of emotion and subject herself to loneliness, so she tried to stop the thoughts of him from coming back. Though none of her new boyfriends lasted long, for some reason, she told herself to never go back to Ren, because he was never her boyfriend in the first place.

Even in the darkness of the night, she tried to keep old memories out of her mind, but his face seemed to revile itself to her, and tears could not help but flow, as hard as she fought to suppress them.

She was not altogether miserable, but she was not necessarily happy either. She just wanted to know if he had loved her, that was all.

Meanwhile, in the place with which Ren resided, he thought about Pirika as well. He did not, however, think about what she had, he knew that he still loved her, but on his recent visits to the Inn, he had seen her starting to forget him altogether. He wanted to tell her, but that would take some time, and she had to realize the true feelings in her heart.

He did not want her to suffer, but if she became happy with her new life than that was what would happen to her. Ren would never forgive himself if she died, and the way things were going he figured that she would forget about him and the full effects of the Tao family necklace would take effect on her soul.

There was only one way left for him to tell her how he felt, but it would be quite challenging, not to mention dangerous.

One of the things that he had heard, not from his sister Jun, but from his mother, was that when the necklace was worn and used, the only person the wearer could present themselves to was the one who had found the necklace. In this case only Pirika could see him, which was difficult as she always had company over.

He had to plan it out perfectly, and it had to be soon, because the necklace would take full effect in only a matter of days, resulting in what was most terrifying, especially as Ren thought that it was his entire fault.

He saw Pirika go on dates as of the past week, and it saddened him because he still loved her, and he did not want to see her go. Though it was against the Tao family to fall in love, Ren could not help it when he saw her. She was nothing but beautiful in his eyes, and he could not let her go, no matter how much he desperately tried to move on.

They were tied by fate, due to the necklace, and only love could tell what their true destiny was, even if it was not meant to be spent with each other.

Though he had hid his feelings thus far, he could not help but let them show through. Ho Tao was prone to crying, and he was no exception, but as he saw her with other boys, and knew what was to have to happen to her due to the curse, he could not help it.

He would catch her alone somehow, just for a moment, so he could explain everything to her. He waited, and no such day came. He worried about her safety, and in the days that followed he worried even more, especially when she was paid a surprised visit by the one person that would ruin it all, for both of them...

DarkTaoAngel: I hope this chapter did not confuse any of you. It confused me as I wrote it, so I accept it if you would like an explanation. It will be in the next chapter when it is all answered, so in the meantime, review!


	9. Evil's Proposition

DarkTaoAngel: Sorry that this chapter is late, I was busy all week! I hope that all of you reading this are still interested; I promise that the next update will be faster! Review please!

A dark figure loomed over a tall tower, not far from the Asakura Inn, watching as Pirika contemplated the situation she was in. He overlooked with a pleasant look etched upon his face, giving off a rather eerie appearance as he watched the girl struggle with her emotions, having absolutely no self-control over her heart, which was as good as locked away forever. Even the most powerful love could not help her now, and the figure smiled as he thought this. The sun arose to revile this man's identity, and he was none other than Hao Asakura, Yoh's only brother.

The reason he was happy was solely because he had been the one who had dispatched this curse upon Pirika. He had hoped that she would stop loving Ren, which would make it easier to kill her, her soul would be beyond repair not too far from now, and then he could be rid the world of her. She could not help but feel what she was feeling, it was a curse with which Hao had bestowed upon her, and it would destroy her from the inside out if she let it; by the looks of it, she already had.

He knew all about her, and he also knew her decision, though either way it would end up working in his favor. Hao cackled maliciously as he watched her suffer, unannounced to him, Ren was alive for the time being, though not for much longer if Pirika made her final decision, and he had no idea, not having been to the location of the last fight in many weeks.

He would have no trouble disposing of Pirika, leaving his dear Asakura brother's soul as good as his. So his effort was not wasted, he precautiously waited for the right moment to leave the place in whence he was perched, and make his way to the Inn. He waited at that very spot for more than a week, chancing every now and again to check up on Yoh and his friends; though he noticed that one of the shamans was missing, it did not affect him in the least, he knew what had happened to him anyway, and for that he was glad. It was just one more person he need not waste his time on finishing off, and he had more time, therefore, to hunt down Yoh and the others.

Hao knew nothing about the sacred Tao necklace that he had saved Ren's soul for a moment, but the way things were going, he would not be that way for much longer, as the necklace's power did not last forever, nothing ever did.

He could not care less for the safety of those below him in his eyes, they were in his way to becoming the Shaman King, and he would remove them at any costs. It would just make his job all the more easy on him if they were already dead, though it would not matter anyway, he was strong enough as he is, and Ren would have died anyway, eventually.

He turned his sharp eyes once again on Pirika. Her condition was getting worse, as she shouted into her pillow, trying to relieve some of her tension, but nothing worked. She wanted to love Ren, but some other half of her told her that pain was the only thing that could and would come of it, and so she was in emotional pain, as well as physical, for some reason that she did not know.

Hao chuckled amusingly, as he watched her desperate attempts at relief. It was all like a comedy show to him, and he was completely careless as to who got hurt in order for him to receive a good laugh. It did not sadden him in the least that she was hurting, and all he wanted was for it to continue at his leisurely amusement.

It was his turn to make a house call to her, and so he jumped down from his perch, only to land softly upon the Spirit of Fire's shoulder. He disappeared, only to reappear just outside of the Asakura Inn. He went through his plans once more before leaving for the large palace-like house. It would all work out in his favor, even if it had to get bloody, he would come out victorious. If he had to slaughter anyone who tried to disturb him, he would, even if it was not someone he would have killed in the end.

He prepared himself, putting on his most unconvincingly kind smile, before entering the Inn uninvited.

Upon entrance he was greeted most solemnly by an aggrieved Pirika, who happened to be the only occupant to the Inn at that very moment. The others had left for either shopping, or training.

Hao looked at her more closely and saw red marks under her eyes. He knew she had been crying, and he made absolutely no effort to comfort her in any way. He cared not for her feelings, but he still tried to act as though he did, by means of a truly fake smile, which, if examined close enough, could be concluded as being a quite nasty smirk.

She knew what he wanted, and she quietly ushered him up the stairs and into her room, where he sat down and readied himself for the one thing Hao never really needed to prepare for. To kill her would only give him more power, and he would eagerly do anything for power, even at others expense, for his sadistic cravings where uncontrollable, almost like her emotions were.

He smiled at the mere thought of it all….

DarkTaoAngel: Creepy, is it not? I wanted to write it quicker, but I had to write it in little time at all, so be satisfied that it was even finished! And, like with any other chapter, I really appreciate your reviews, so keep them coming!


	10. Don't Say Goodbye

DarkTaoAngel: Half way done after this chapter! And hopefully none of my readers have deserted me by now. I have only one request this far into the story; please submit a review after you are done reading this chapter!

Not far off Ren was on his way to check up on Pirika again. It was becoming quite routine to him by this point, though he did still mind it as a treat. He neared the Inn to find Pirika in a state of disarray, with none other than Hao Asakura sitting beside her. He cursed himself under his breath for having let this happen to her in the first place. He had helped in the destruction of Hao, but somehow he had survived, as he always seemed to find a way out of all things that he disliked.

Ren neared even closer to Pirika's room to find her in worse shape than he had ever imagined. She was sitting on her bed, clutching her legs to her chest, and sobbing so hard it could be heard for many yards. Tears flowed from her eyes, leaving behind red blotches under them, and staining her clothes with the saline substance. Her face was red from having screamed into the night, and it was easy to see that she was suffering immensely, due to the way she was rocking herself back and forth.

Ren wanted nothing more than to be there, to comfort her, to tell her that she would be alright. He had never been able to do such things, and as far as Pirika was concerned, he had, and never would love her. _So why_, Ren asked himself, _was she crying? It must be because of someone else, but then why would Hao be there?_ Ren had absolutely no idea as to why, but he knew one thing; he had to save Pirika from whatever Hao was plotting, and for that he had to come back to life. But what if Pirika did not love him? Then he would just have to stick to his plan, and tell her what he felt about her. Only she could decide what happened here, but he had hoped it would be easier than this. He chanced a quick glance at Hao, so as to not present himself to such an evil and all-powerful man as he.

Hao appeared to have remained completely unchanged over all of these many encounters. He was still the heartless devil that he was when they had apparently finished him off the first time. He was talking to Pirika, and only when Ren got closer still was he able to hear the full extent of what they were saying.

"I know what you want, and I intend upon giving it to you. But I must ask you one last question before we proceed; is this what you really want?" Hao was just toying with Pirika, watching her struggle with an air of pure enjoyment.

Pirika thought for a moment before coming to a conclusion, which took her quite some time, and she still was not completely sure of herself. "Tell me your conditions first, then I will decide for sure." Even her voice was good to hear, after Ren had not heard it in the longest time, and he missed the sweet melodic sound to it.

Hao just laughed as his first response, making the entire scene uncomfortable, leaving Pirika edgy, which went on for some minutes before subsiding. He then turned back to her before continuing, with his still malicious voice, now so more than before.

"If you chose as you said you would, I will bring back what you have lost; but a small price will come to such a gift. You will be allowed but one day to spend with him, and then I am afraid your soul will be mine to keep.

"If you chose the other choice, however, I will be forced to take your brother with me on my way out." Hao called forth the Spirit of Fire to reveal Horo, Pirika's brother, bound and blindfolded, laying in the spirit's fire-red hand.

"You put him down! This had nothing to do with him! Take me if you want, just don't hurt my brother!" Pirika shouted, now on the breaking point, tears still rapidly filling her eyes.

"It's either your brother or your precious boyfriend." Hao said, taking in the scene with joy. Pirika blushed crimson red before continuing.

"He is not my boyfriend! Ren is…." She seemed unable to find the right way to put what she wanted to say, so she stopped in mid sentence.

Ren was shocked when he found out that it was he who Pirika wanted to revive. Though it was a put out that she did not find him as a boyfriend to her, she still cared about him, even now. He could tell how hard this was for her, having to choose between him and her brother, whom she cared about more than any other.

And what was worse, the result for her either way ended in death for her, and Ren did not want that, no matter what it took him to prevent it. He did not care what happened to him now, it was his fault that this was going to happen to Pirika in the first place, and he had to get her out of it.

Even if his soul remained trapped, he would expose himself, just to save her. It was his turn to do something to show he how much she meant to him, and he knew exactly what to do. He had to tell her what to do, because there was only one way for her to get out of it, and the only way to do this was by telling her how he felt about her.

He would save her even if his soul had to remain encased in this prison-like way, not able to depart from this world, he had to help her. She meant that much to him.

DarkTaoAngel: Well, that was chapter ten! I did not like it much, but I had to write it to continue. The next chapter is really climactic, with lots of Ren x Pirika! Please R&R!


	11. Until I Return

DarkTaoAngel: I am already running out of things to say! As of ten chapters ago I quite saying a disclaimer, so all I can really say is please review! I hope you like this chapter, and the other ones, too!

It was now or never for Ren. He had to try and talk Pirika out of what she was doing, or more innocent lives could be destroyed in the process. He would have to wait until Hao had his back turned, then he would talk to Pirika. He could barely wait, anxiety was overwhelming him, and it had been so long. He was not sure exactly what would happen on this night, but he would see her and talk to her once more, and for that he was sure that he could help her, he had to. She did not know it now, but she was counting on him, and he was needed by her now more than ever he had been needed.

Ren had always been misunderstood by most, but Pirika was different from all of the others. She was the only one who had ever given him a warm embrace, a friendly smile. She was the only one who had ever made him feel loved, as though he was needed in this world for something other than hate, she made him feel as though he meant something to her. She made him feel, for the first time in his life, as though he was truly happy. And she was the one who had made him see that, people are not all bad, there is a world beyond the one he was always taught to obey.

She made him smile, for the first time in years, and for that he could not seem to get her out of his mind. He needed to protect her, at any cost, because she was the only one he had loved, and always will love, even in death. There was a special bond between them, but none of them really knew it yet, especially Pirika, who still could not control what she thought anymore, due to Hao's dark trickery.

Pirika was utterly shocked by what Hao had said, and she was feeling even worse about her decision because she had to decide between the one she loved as her brother, and the one she had loved perhaps even more.

Just as she thought this though, a sharp pain stabbed at her head, causing her hold her hands to her face, as she silently screamed in her mind, not wanting Hao to see her break down in tears and admit defeat. Her thoughts clouded, leaving her mind completely blank for a small moment of time, before her thoughts suddenly changed, from loving Ren, to hating him.

She knew this was not what she wanted, so she tried desperately to block it all out, but to no avail. A new kind of evil consumed her, making all traces of love for Ren disappear. She screamed, out loud this time, and let out all of her confusion. Nothing helped, as Hao sat next to her, watching her, as though she was nothing more than a very interesting television program.

Ren knew it was time to act. Seeing Pirika in such distress was unbearable to him, so he rushed to her side. He did not care if Hao saw him; all he cared about now was Pirika.

He tried to reach out to her, but he just went right through her. She must have felt it though, because she looked over in his direction, and suddenly stopped crying.

Hao looked over too, as anger spread all over his face, his perfect plans disrupted. His anger quickly turned into laughter; however, as he saw that, being little more than a singular transparent ghost, Ren could do nothing at this point, so he ignored him.

Pirika was still staring at Ren, trying to figure out exactly what she felt about him, as her memory was still fuzzy. She blinked several times at him and, upon realizing who he was, she told him that she wanted nothing to do with him, and to get lost.

Ren was unsure if it was Hao's doing or not, but he thought that the best bet was that it was caused by Hao, as he was smiling at the time, finding this all rather amusing, and watching her destroy herself and his heart at the same time was about as sweet of comedy as it got in his opinion.

Ren had only one thing that he had wanted to do, and now was the best time to do it. He took a deep breath, and said the only three words that could save them both from a cruel and horrible fate that awaited them.

"I love you." After these three simple words escaped his lips the entire atmosphere in the room changed. Hao stopped smirking, and went on to looking as though he wanted nothing more than to kill Ren again if he could. He recovered quickly yet again, however, and went back to looking as though both were doomed under his heavy gaze.

Pirika, on the other hand, began to sob uncontrollably. She leaned her head on the bed, tears soiling the sheets, leaving her eyes cloudy. She did not know what to make of the situation. She was confused, terrified, and angry, all at the same unbearable time.

She glanced at both Hao and Ren in turn, contemplating over and over in her mind which was most trustworthy. Normally it would be Ren, but Hao had her brother, and her mind still had not recovered from what he had done to her memory, so she was still unsure of some things.

He certainly looked like a good person, but she could never be sure. After all, she still thought that Hao was a good person, too.

DarkTaoAngel: I hope this chapter was better than the last, and especially because I wrote them both in the same day! I want to make each and every chapter of this story at least one thousand words long! Please review!


	12. Second Chance

DarkTaoAngel: Thanks to all those who took their time to review my story, no matter how bad it was! I hope this one gets a few reviews as well, please R&R again!

Ren had hoped with all of his heart that her reaction would be far better than it was. He was unsure of what to do next, and how to comfort her and make her feel better. He knew, though, that there was no way that he could do anything, and so he had to let it all settle on its own. If Pirika truly loved him, she would tell him, and she would know it, even if Hao told her otherwise.

She had no idea that she could save Ren and herself, but she knew that nothing good would come of her if she kept all of her feelings inside of herself. She wanted to tell him the same as he had told her, but every time she thought of it, she would feel the same sharp pain, and then she would forget all about who she loved, and who she did not.

Upon hearing what Ren had said to her, however, something inside of her unleashed. Some dormant feeling came forth, and she was finally able to get in a moments time to think things through. She thought all about Ren, and about Hao. And the more she thought, the more things started to all come together, the more she began to realize some of the most important things she ever would.

She loved Ren, and she knew it. Not just as a crush kind of love, but she really loved him. They had not been together that much, and they had not gone through anything in particular, but she knew that, at this instance, when her mind was finally released by Hao's spell, that it was because of Ren. She had loved him, and not even Hao could change that.

She had to tell him this time. She had had only one other time to tell him, and she had been too late for that. She finally received a second chance at loving him, and she was not about to let him slip away again. She knew with all of her heart that the reason that she was still here was because of him. He had saved her life that day, and before she had a chance to thank him, he was out of her reach, slipping out of her grasp. To tell him would be to thank him in a way far beyond expectations. It was now or never for her to say what she felt, and so she made a difficult, yet so simple, last minute, but ever so planned decision.

She had been amazed when Ren had told her that he loved her. She had thought that there was no chance for her with him, but now there might be. If she told him, then maybe they could be brought together, even if she had to depend on Hao for help. Yet something was still tearing her apart on the inside. Hao had her onii-san, and if she wanted Ren back then he would have to kill him. She would find a way to save him, but right now there was something that she had to do, she knew it, Ren was waiting for her to say it.

She knew it would not be so easy, but he had told her, and she could not let him down. So she said the simple four-worded phrase that meant so much more than just those few words.

"I love you, too." And she truly meant every word. She spoke them as though they had been rehearsed many times before now, and as though this was the only thing that words could express of what was going on this very room.

As though surprised fully by the words that escaped Pirika's lips, Ren was shocked yet pleased at the same exact time. He just smiled as he had only one other time before this, and looked straight into her deep azure eyes, telling her all of the unsaid words that he needed to let out of his soul, before he could be satisfied with what he had said.

Pirika had smiled and stopped her tears from coming upon seeing this, as she stared at him as well. This went on for only a moment however, as the true test of their undying love for each other was coming soon.

This was Ren's turn to see if it was all real, and judging but the necklace on Pirika's desk, it all was.

The necklace began to glow a deep, blood-red crimson, before it faded after a single, magical moment. It all happened so fast, that no one could tell exactly what happened next.

Something was happening to Ren as well, something strange. His soul, just like the necklace, was glowing, only more of a light orange than red.

He was just as surprised as Pirika was at this sudden turn of events. Caught up in the effects of the moment, Ren had completely forgotten all about the Tao family necklace, and the curse that came with it. If their love was true, and destined to last forever, than all would work out well. But if Hao was able to control Pirika's mind, if even for a little while, then the plan would be destroyed. Ren just hoped that Hao could not control Pirika's heart, as that was more important to him, and her heart was what had stopped Hao before, the first time.

Pirika was sure that this was it; it was all up to these last moments. Even though she had no idea of what was going on here, she had a hunch that it was something to do with Ren coming back, and she had to make sure that she did everything she could to help with it; she did not know, however, that it was all up to her.

Just when she was prepared to do her part to help, and find Ren standing, alive in front of her, he was gone, just like that. He had disappeared, before her eyes, as he had on the worst day of her life, when he had left her.

DarkTaoAngel: I finally got around to making it a little more interesting! I do hope that it was interesting enough, because I still have quite a few chapters left until the end, and I will try my best to make this story happy! So please review this chapter!


	13. Memories of a Distant Past

DarkTaoAngel: Thank you to all of my reviewers! I really appreciate the lovely thoughts that you put into them, and I have yet to see a flame, so please help to keep this up for me! This chapter is much like the last and, like the last, R&R!

Pirika could not believe her eyes. The one she had loved was gone yet again, and before she had even gotten to say anything, least of all goodbye. On the only other occasion that this had happened she had been distraught, spending day and night crying in her room, feeling sorry for herself. Now, when she was almost better again, he had to show up and leave once again, and just when she had finally summoned enough courage to actually 'talk' to him.

She could not help but show emotion, if only a trace of it, at the thought that he might never come back to her, and that it could have been her fault. Try as she might to stem the flow of tears, Pirika had lost control, and her eyes which were dry at one time, were wet again by her tears. She chocked them back upon looking over at Hao-sama, seeing as his previous threat to her was rather convincing on his behalf.

He was still staring at the spot were Ren had just left from with a look of confusion, as though his job was getting all the more easy, and he the more omni powerful.

He sniggered at the look of fear on Pirika's face, as no one was around to stop him from killing her here and now. It would be easy, and satisfying, not to mention it would make Yoh grieve, weakening him considerably. Yes, Hao had quite the plan to uphold, and then he could complete him rein in the peace that to him comes with world domination.

He stood up suddenly, forcing Pirika to step back many paces, her back now touching the wall, until she could move no longer, she was cornered by him. He had the ability to transform the Spirit of Fire into a sword, which was what he did at that moment. The blade of the sword glinted a blood colored red, one that suited Hao perfectly, giving the holder a magnetized glowing look on contact.

Pirika's brother Horo was flung backwards onto the ground, off of the Spirit of Fire's hand as it was called to Hao. Though he was uninjured from the fall, he was not able to fight due to the fact that he was still bound around the wrists. He tried to take of the ropes, but it was too late; Hao was advancing on Pirika before he had even started trying to untie himself.

He moved slowly towards Pirika, making sure to torture her as best he could, making her suffer. The fear in her eyes could be seen purely, her once beautiful and cheerful orbs now a lifeless tunnel, blacker in color than blue as they once were.

She was curled against the wall, blocking her face with her eyes as Hao came at her. She was too stricken to scream, even to fight back, so she prepared her body for the worst, and since no one was there to help her, she was sure this was the end for her.

She also knew that being killed by Hao was different; he would kill her soul as well as her body, sealing it away forever, forever apart from Ren's. He knew about she and Ren, and he would do anything to keep them apart, which he could most easily do.

It was just when Hao was right at level with Pirika when something interrupted his perfect plot; someone was in the Inn at that very minute. The noise as the figure entered gave away who it was instantly, as a voice called to the Inn at large, asking if anyone was home.

Pirika knew who this was, and she wanted to answer, but Hao was in striking range of her, so she figured that she had better not try anything.

The intruder was right outside of Pirika's room, having heard some sort of muffled noise from inside. He entered the room right on time to save Pirika from Hao, pulling himself into action upon seeing who was there. He called forth his spirit ally, showing absolutely no fear towards this fight, the one he was destined to fight, and hoped he never had to fight again.

He had fought Hao once before, and won with the help of his friends, but now Hao was back, and they both were alone.

The fight was on even now, sword against sword, with no possible idea of who would win. Pirika looked on as the fighting got increasingly more violent, the two resorting to cheap tricks and mild language, but nothing Pirika could not handle.

She watched as the attacks came from both sides, just barely missing her head a few times, but she was afraid to move. It showed so plainly on her face that she was scared, and the intruder to the Inn, who was not an intruder at all, must have sensed it by the body language that she was using, shifting in place as she sat. She had her eyes closed and she was muttering something that sounded like a prayer, every now and then she would whimper, but other than that, no should came from her whatsoever.

The occupant to the Inn, as it turned out he was, was worried about her, and he was losing the fight against Hao due to that. He was constantly looking over to her, which made him lose his focus on Hao, giving him time to attack him. He was losing to Hao, but the only reason that he was fighting him in the first place was because of Pirika, though he did not know that right now.

Yoh turned to Pirika, being struck for doing so by Hao, and told her the only encouraging words that he could think of, his one and only catch phrase.

"Don't worry. It will all work out." She could not help but smile at this comment, wondering if it would all work out for Ren too….

DarkTaoAngel: I would like to take this time to say that in the next few chapters there will be more fighting, answered questions, and dialogue! Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter, and please remember to review it as well!


	14. Love's Decision

DarkTaoAngel: I will try to make each chapter quicker from now on, but this one is late only because I was busy writing other stories! Please review this one, and I will make the other chapters quicker!

Yoh was losing the fight against Hao severely, unable to sustain the balance of furyoku that he had at the moment for much longer. Hao, however, was not tired in the least, his furyoku having not been slashed at even once, and his energy remained stable throughout the entire fight. He laughed at various intervals, each time sending shivers up Pirika's spine as Hao fought with the anticipation of a cruel and unusual maniac, giving Pirika creeps the even more.

Pirika thought about the words Yoh had just said. 'It will all work out….' He had always said this whenever anyone was in doubt, but even Pirika's doubt could not be solved so simply, and it appeared that Yoh had sensed this, as he had not said anything to further the situation. Pirika knew that Ren would be fine, he would never give up on what he wanted if it was that worth while, but Pirika wondered whether Ren really thought that his own life was that worth while.

He had always been so unemotional, and she had never really stopped to consider that he did not have any feelings, but now, when he had just told her that he loved her, was he really serious, or was it just some act that he put on to impress her? He had also never really cared about anything, so why would Pirika be any different from everyone else? But yet, he _had_ said that he loved her, and he truly seemed like he had meant it.

There was a look in his eyes, one that no one had ever seen in them before, it looked like a kind of pleading look, as though he really needed her help. she had never seen Ren plead before, so naturally it came as a bit of a shock, but she could not help but feel kind of sorry for him at that moment, and even now, though it seemed impossible for anyone to pity Ren, no one else had seen that look. There was pure, raw emotion in his eyes; desperate, begging, aggrieved eyes that could make even the strongest person in the world feel pain. She could see all of his pain, all that he had had to suffer through on his way to this point in time, and now she could tell somehow that he regretted so much of his life. maybe that was why Pirika thought that he had not thought his own life was worth while, his eyes, so much like a doorway to his soul, and his innermost thought, his most personal life, and all of his never ending pain.

It was at this time that Pirika realized finally the full effect of all that was happening around her at that time, not just with Ren. Yoh was losing to Hao, who was fully ready to take over the role of the Shaman King, Ren was gone, possibly forever or longer, and she was to go down with him, due to Hao, who was already prepared to finish her off if Yoh had not saved her earlier.

"Ren…. Ren! I'm coming back for you! I'll never give up on you as long as I live and longer!" Pirika shouted to nothing in particular as she snatched up the ever so important necklace of his and ran out of the room, out of the Inn in particular, leaving Yoh fighting alone, and her less of a target by Hao, but that was not the only reason that she had left.

"Pirika…." Yoh said, his voice just barely audible, little more than that of a whisper. He knew that she was fighting a never ending battle, one which she was doomed from the start to lose. He also knew almost exactly where she was going, to where she could finally talk to Ren, not in person, but it was almost as though he could hear her, no matter were he was at the time.

Pirika sprinted off into the distance, trying hard not to have to stop, even though she knew it was a long way to go to get to where she was going. She would get to speak to him, and tell his nonexistent soul about all of her troubles, just so that she could be with him, at the place where she had seen him last, what seemed like a millennium ago to her. She clung to his necklace, the only thing of his that she had to remember him by, and her only treasure. She had kept it safe ever since the accident, as though it was the only thing that could help him, and bring him back, as though she knew that it was a sort of magical necklace, though she had no idea whatsoever that it was.

Try as she might to suppress the ever threatening tears from coming out of her eyes, the flow seemed to have never truly stopped, and her eyes had red lining them, her clothes stained with the scalene substance once again, as though it had never left, though she had changed many times. Her bright blue hair fluttered and clung to her face from the moisture that was forever laid upon it, her soft, orb like eyes blurring and fading with each passing day, growing sadder, losing their youthful perk that was once so lively, now dull and rather dead looking.

She was unsure of what was to become of Yoh, where Ren was right now, and where she, Pirika, was going to be in the days to pass, when Hao finally caught her. All cheerful thoughts had left her mind, only to be replaced by tragic, dark thoughts that, a month ago, would have frightened everyone, including herself, but in this Dark Age, no happy thoughts were ever possible, and what was more, Pirika knew that it was all her fault.

DarkTaoAngel: I hope this chapter meets your reading needs, and that it receives some reviews! By the way, the age of the characters in all of my stories is as follows: Ren-15, Pirika-14, and all others-15. Hope that clears some things up for you all, and again, review!


	15. Calling of Wings

DarkTaoAngel: Just to clarify to you all, the reason that many of my characters die and do not get revived by Anna are because either their souls resist, or their bodies are far too mangled, as the case with Ren in this story, as they never found his body. Hao's body was buried by his supporters, so he was easily revived. I hope that made it easier to understand!

Pirika ran onwards, ignoring the fact that he clothing was torn in many places, and her hair was becoming excruciatingly tangled. Her legs were ready to give way at any time, and her feet bore the calluses of constant travel, but still she continued on, wanting to get away, just for a moment she could be free of all of the worry, and all of the pain would leave her body for the time being. She just wanted to be near him, near where she had last seen him, just to say goodbye to him at long last.

Tears were splashing icy cold onto her clothing, but she made no effort to wipe them away, she did not care. When she had last seen Ren he had been put in a different light, one that he had refused to let happen, and she had seen him look at his worst. Not only had there been sadness in his eyes, but another, far more different emotion, one that is referred to as the worst kind of emotion of all, fear. He had been extremely close to crying in front of her, and she could see it in his once cold and desolate eyes, not a pleading look etched in them, and in her memory, forever. She wanted him to open up a bit more, maybe show some more emotion, but never plead, because that caused Pirika to feel even guiltier.

Pirika finally reached her destination and, upon seeing it, she ran with her full strength, just barely getting there before she collapsed, cold, tired and alone, upon the hard earth. She ran her fingers through the rough sand, feeling its every grain, as it was s close to where he was as she could get. She was exhausted from having run for so long, but she needed to talk to Ren, even though he was not here with her, she could almost sense his presence, and she was almost sure that he could hear her speak.

"Ren…" Pirika began, choking slightly on her tears as she fought to keep them from falling, "Ren, please, come back. I never meant to do this to you…. I never meant for you to leave…. I just wish you could be here now; I'm lost without you to guide me…. I truly meant every word I said before… I really do love you, Ren…. I… love… you…." She could not continue to speak, her voice was getting rather scratchy, and she was feeling as though if she did not get some rest now she could quite possibly faint later in the day; besides that, she needed her strength to make it all the way home, which was miles away from here.

She felt ill and lonely, the only thing that kept her from dieing right now was some unknown force that seemed to be so very familiar to her, but she could not tell distinctly what it was. She thought about it and a thought struck her, it was _him._ He was the one that kept her alive, and protected her always. Just because he was not here physically, did not mean that he was not here, and that he was completely gone. Wherever she went he would be with her, protecting her always, and comforting her when she needed it, and no one could take that power away from her. As long as she believed that he was there, he would be, and she could talk to him if she needed to, just like she was now. She had not come here just to be here, and to be closer to him, but to talk to him, because she knew that he would always listen to her troubles, and try to solve them.

Now that she thought about it, they sounded just like a couple, too bad that they could never be one. He was too far gone from this world for that to happen, but at least she knew that he loved her, and she would always love him as long as she could, and longer still.

She decided to stay there just a little while longer, so as to speak with Ren some more, so that she would not have to go back to the place which she had left; it seemed so long ago that she was there. It was just a memory to her, something that had happened before now, and so it was all past and done. She let it all slip out of her mind as she lay there, beside the grave of her beloved, crying slightly, but at peace with herself and Ren at long last.

She remained pleasantly unaware of the fact that Ren was gone, forever to her, Yoh was fighting a losing battle, and she was next in line in the string of fate; but for now she enjoyed the peace and quiet, refusing to let the days events bother her and further, as she drifted off to sleep, dreaming happily about all of the things that could never happen, not to her anyway.

Ren was gone to Pirika, only a memory, one of the happiest ones she had ever had, and she would not let that go. Sadly that dreaming memory had to end, and she had to return to the living nightmare that was her new life without Ren. She got up slowly, hardly recovered from the long walk, and turned to leave. She said something before leaving, however, that could make all the difference in the world to her, and it did.

"I love you Ren." It was then that she felt a hand touch on her shoulder and, turning around, she saw with happiness exactly who the hand belonged to.

DarkTaoAngel: I am sure that many of you know how this story ends, but then again, many of my stories end just the opposite of what you would expect! Please review this chapter, and thank you all for reading my stories!


	16. Living for You

DarkTaoAngel: Many of my updates will be coming quicker, so they may seem kind of rushed, but I think that they will be fine for the most part. Please read and review this chapter if you like, and no flames unless necessary!

She looked back at the pale boy standing behind her. His face was flushed and his hair was lighter that it had been beforehand, but she could identify him any day. "Ren!" Pirika exclaimed, almost unable to believe what she was seeing, yet it was Ren, clear as could be. His eyes truly gave away his identity, as they had given away so many other secrets, if you were able to look close enough.

"Ren, you're hurt! What happened to you?" Pirika asked, having many other questions, but all else could wait until later, all that was important was that he was alright.

He was in horrible shape, his tongari gone, leaving his now light purple hair to hand limply at his shoulders. His clothes were torn at several places, he had gashes in his skin, and blood was flowing freely from his many battle wounds, which had left behind some very nasty scars. Only his bright golden eyes remained the same, though there was something different about them, too. He was crying, something that the old Ren would never have even thought to do, but he was.

Pirika jumped on him, pulling him into a warm hug, much needed to the both of them. She could feel his tears falling on her, she was crying as well, but neither tear falls were due to sadness, only joy that they could finally be together after such a long and hard wait.

"We can talk later, but for now…."

Ren resisted not Pirika's hug, but instead he did the unthinkable, by kissing her. As their lips met a warm sensation melted away all of their troubles, and the world around them seemed to be inexistent, all of their problems were put on hold. They held each other close, embracing the moment, and wishing that it would never have to end.

They broke apart to talk, so as to get some explanations about what had just happened, and what else was happening around them. Pirika was still dazed by what Ren had done to her, but she recovered quickly enough to question him.

"How is it that you can do that? How can you be here, I thought you died!" Ren nodded slowly, touching the necklace on Pirika's neck. Pirika removed it and handed it to him before he continued.

"I did. Listen, this necklace has been in my family for many generations, bearing with it an ancient curse." And so he continued to explain to her about the necklace, taking as little time as he could in the process, and finishing not long after having started.

He turned the necklace around, revealing the inscription that Pirika had tried to decipher when she had first found it. She could not read it before, but now, as she looked at it with Ren it all became clearer, and she could read it easily, as though she had known it all along.

'_Phoenix'_ it read, etched deeply into the silver metal of the necklace's back. Pirika looked up at Ren, not knowing truly what to say, because it all fit together. The phoenix, the fire bird, just like Ren, undefeatable, but yet he almost was. The phoenix was not perfect, however, and neither was Ren, his weakness was, all shall always be, _love_. But now that he had Pirika with him forever, Ren knew that love would not be a problem.

Ren tossed the necklace that had caused so much pain and agony into the soft sand, burying it, and hoping that no other person ever came across it, though it could be used only to a Tao, the effects were unknown and possibly more deadly still.

Ren appeared to have sensed that something was wrong, because he told Pirika to follow him, and he left without another word, Pirika following in his wake. She knew where he was going, to find Hao and Yoh, and help out with the once impossible fight. Pirika was sad that their time together had to end, but they could be together later, _if_ there was a later, that is. Last time Ren had gone up against Hao, he had died trying, and now he was hurt from his last battle, wherein he had just about been gone from her forever. That was enough for Pirika to want to tell him to back out now, but she somehow knew that he could make it, deep inside; some unknown force was telling her.

It was not just that something was telling her to move on for Ren, it seemed as though Ren himself was telling her, even though no one was talking. It was her belief in him that kept the light of hope continuously burning within her soul, and that was what made her move forward with him.

She had forgotten, however, that she was still injured, and she fell back almost instantly, keeling over on the ground. Ren looked down at her concernedly and, with a bit of effort, he managed to cautiously lift her up and onto his back, as he carried her the entire rest of the way back to the Inn, where destinies would be determined, and at least one life would be lost. Everyone was hoping that it would be Hao, but no one could be quite sure, and no one could stand in the way of the fight that was happening, and the even larger one that was about to happen.

When they finally neared the Inn they saw a body lying just ahead of them. It was Horo, they soon recognized, having freed himself and fought until he gotten into the rough shape he was in now. Pirika left Ren to check on Horo, unsure if he was even alive anymore after Hao had dealt with him, as Ren joined the fight alongside Yoh, who was putting up a good fight, though barely able to for much longer.

Pirika was unsure if Ren would be able to put up as good a fight as Yoh, or if he would end up like Horo, badly hurt and possibly dead.

DarkTaoAngel: Sorry about how badly done this was, it was very rushed and I am running out of good ideas. I hope you will all review anyway, and the violent chapters are all coming up, along with a slightly romantic one as well!


	17. Two Revived, and a Battle of Lives

DarkTaoAngel: Thank you to all those that reviewed, I never had thought that this story would be quite so popular! I have only four more chapters left of this story, so the next few might be kind of long!

Yoh was shocked at first when he saw Ren, not looking himself at all, but still alive. After the realization hit him, however, he asked not questions, just smiled and invited Ren to the fight. Hao was furious that his plan to kill both Ren and Pirika had failed, but he had complete pride in himself that he could change all of that with a simple attack laid upon each by the Spirit of Fire. That left Ren and Yoh in very difficult positions, Hao was fired up with a great amount of furyoku, and they had no chance against him; but still they fought, for all of those that they love.

Pirika reached Horo, fell to the ground, and prayed that he would be alright, all the while trying to fight back the tears that engulfed her eyes; they had never left and she was afraid that they never would. Pirika closely examined her brother who, apart from being unconscious and hurt, was just fine. That was reassuring news to her after so much had happened to her, she still had him, and hopefully she would have Ren and Yoh with her after this was all over as well. Horo was alive and well, for the most part, though bleeding profusely, the attack from Hao could have done much worse to him had Yoh not saved him quickly. Pirika tried to slow the bleeding and, in an attempt to wake her brother so that he could help Ren and Yoh, she slapped him across the face; he remained asleep, possibly just to find out Pirika's reaction. Pirika stopped and looked up to the window overshadowing the fight between Hao, Ren, and Yoh. It appeared that Hao was finally tiring out, but Yoh was almost out of furyoku from having fought for so long, and Ren had quite a few nasty looking cuts on himself as well. Ren and Yoh had a slight chance of defeating Hao at last, but it was still a very slim chance all the same; Horo could not even help them now, even if he did wake up.

It was then that the intense battle began to get interesting. Hao was actually losing, though the others were as well, all they needed to defeat him was another, much more powerful attack, or another fighting shaman, none of which they had. _If only Horo would just wake up…_Pirika thought, _then he could help Ren and Yoh…_

Horo stirred in his consciousness, giving sign of life at last, and, after a while of utter nothingness, he awakened, taking Pirika by surprise as he quickly jolted up into a sitting position. He was still in pain but he was able to stand, which was what he did upon realizing where he was and what was going on around him. He knew that Yoh was in trouble, having been unconscious when Ren had appeared, and he wanted more than anything to help him. When he had passed out the last thing he had seen was Yoh, about to collapse himself, and Hao, still fighting as though he had just started not too long ago.

Horo stood up, fighting back the pain from his bleeding and possibly sprained ankle long enough to stand, before leaning back into falling position once again. Pirika rushed up to help him, having him lean on her for support, but he shook her off and told her that he needed to stand on his own if he was to help Yoh. Pirika did not want him to leave so shortly after he had woke up, but there was no use in arguing with him, after all, and she allowed him to go on and fight, hoping that Ren and Yoh would win before Horo even got up the stairs to where they were fighting.

Pirika wanted to help, but she thought that she would probably get in everyone's way if she even tried to do anything, so she stayed put, waiting. She looked up into the room from time to time, the same room where, so long ago, she had come just to think; then she had started coming there to cry about Ren when he had died; and now there was a fight going on in the very same room that had held sadness for so long. She hoped that the sadness would finally be put to an end, and the happy days would return, where she and Ren could come to that room together, just to be together at long last, having been apart for much too long for their liking. She knew that Ren liked her, maybe even more, and she felt the same about him. It was hard enough for Pirika to let him join the fight, but the worry about him, Yoh, and her onii-san, was far too great for her to just step aside and let the past repeat itself, but she had no choice.

It was at that moment, when Pirika was busy pondering the future, and her future more particularly, that a yell pierced the evening sky, as sharp sounding as screeching against a blackboard, and as eerie as any scream could be. Her heart sunk at the thought of who it was, and she did not want to believe it, but she knew it was true, and Pirika knew right away who had just screamed. It was Ren….

DarkTaoAngel: I know that my chapters are becoming a bit dull, but I promise to make the next few a bit more climactic! I would like to get about five more reviews in the next few days, and then I plan on writing the next chapter, as school is taking up most of my time now. Please review in the mean time!


	18. World's End

DarkTaoAngel: I have been having severe writers block lately, so I have not updated this story in a long time. I am sorry to all of those who wanted this chapter earlier. But at least I am writing it!

"Ren!" she screamed his name as though expecting that at any moment he would answer her, but he did not. Pirika did not have to wait that long, however, because the scream stopped quickly, and she knew that something was wrong. Ren's scream was replaced by Hao's booming voice, however muffled by the walls of the building, she could hear him talking about not enough space, and she heard a pop. She looked up to the window, but could see no one. They seemed to have gone somewhere, to continue the battle in a more open space, the perfect battlefield for Hao. The fight was certain to continue, and the outcome was sure to be something awful. Pirika was almost certain that Yoh and Horo would lose, but she kept an open mind through all that happened, though no one else would have.

Pirika saw this as the perfect opportunity for her to go upstairs and see if Ren was there, though she knew already that he was. She was scared of what she would find; that yell had been horrible, and Pirika did not wish to find him irreversibly injured… or worse.

She reached the room and entered with shaking hands, hoping to see that he was not there; that he had gone off to fight with the others and that he was okay. But he was there, sprawled on the floor, and Pirika's heart plummeted at the sight of him in this condition. There was blood all around him on the floor, coming from a large gash in his stomach. She could tell that there was a minimal chance for him to live, but she did not want to believe it, no matter how true it seemed to be. It all was a nightmare to her, because this was much too horrific to be real.

She walked up to his unmoving body, hoping to see some sign of movement, but none came. She had to look close just to see that he was breathing, but she could barely even tell that he was, it could have just been her hopefulness.

_Please don't be dead; I can't bare it if you are… not again…_ Pirika thought, as she felt a tear trickle down her chin, and soon she was completely enveloped in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. She was worried that he would never be the same after this, or that he might never even wake up again.

Meanwhile, in a place widely known as the 'Soul Underworld', the place in which the previous battle with Hao had taken place, Yoh, Horo, and Hao had just been transported there by Hao himself. The battle continued where it had left off, except for the fact that Hao had more of an edge against the others, and he was using that opportunity to its fullest. This was his playing field, though he had lost the previous time that he had fought there, it was an evil place, one which Hao knew quite well from past visits.

The stakes were high on Yoh's side, with Hao leading in furyoku, and it could have been told right away that he was destined to win the fight.

Yoh was much more exhausted than Horo, as he had many scratches covering his body, many of which were bleeding profusely. Horo, on the other hand, was doing very well as far as physical condition went, but he was not thinking right, he was focusing on what could happen to all of them, rather than the battle.

The strikes from each side were almost evenly matched, which was not good because the force of both Yoh and Horo was the same as Hao alone, so if either Yoh or Horo was injured, then the battle will have been lost. They tried to keep in perfect syncopation, and they did very well for a while. Hao was still losing furyoku, though not as much as the other two and his attacks were therefore weakening.

It was then that the battle took a rather unpleasant turn, completing the horrific day's events. Hao used his furyoku to jet into the air for just enough time to get past Yoh, and make it to Horo, for whom he knew to be Yoh's Achilles heal. Horo was much weaker than Yoh, and could be defeated by a far weaker attack, though he fought well enough. Hao then transformed his spirit sword once again into the Spirit of Fire, who could fight to its fullest due to the enormous space. He had gotten past Yoh, and called his spirit to him, as it emerged beside its master.

Horo had barely enough time to turn around before he was attacked, struck by Hao easily, as he fell immediately to his feet. Blood erupted from the wound in his side, and he struggled to keep his breathing constant. Yoh tried to reach him in order to help, but Hao began to advance on him when he did, and he was blocked from Horo. He called out to him in the distance, and the answer was much too wavered and light that it could not be heard, but Yoh knew what he was trying to say. Horo wanted him to move on and defeat Hao, and to come back for him later. He could not disobey what his friend had said, and so, he fought for him, though it seemed a lost cause.

Hao had sworn upon arriving that someone would die that night, and it could never be him; secretly, Yoh agreed with him on that.

DarkTaoAngel: I am still not sure how this story will end, and I was not even sure if I would post this chapter, but I did anyway. If you have any requests for what I should write about, feel free to let me know!


	19. Fighting a Losing Battle

DarkTaoAngel: The previous chapter was going to take place around episode 61 of the anime, but it would have made no sense if it had been. I will still have 20 chapters though, so I only have two left!

The fight continued, even after Horo left, and Yoh now had the upper hand. Hao had been distracted when Horo was talking to Yoh, and so he was struck in just a way to make him vulnerable to attacks. Yoh had the confidence and trust of his friends, and there was too much at stake for him to lose, so he fought with all he had, risking everything.

Hao was infuriated by his losing streak, but there was nothing he could do about it, he just fought with rage, pumping a large amount of his furyoku into his attacks, losing much of it at once. Horo remained unmoving throughout the entire battle, presumably unconscious, though it could have been much worse, and could get worse still. Yoh tried his best to reach Horo, but Hao blocked him each time he attempted to try, and so Yoh had to fight and win as fast as possible, as his friend's life was in his care. He was also worried about Ren, especially because he had not been transferred with them to fight, and it was quite possible that he had not made it for a reason, one which he did not want to find out. Throughout all of the worries and challenges, however, Yoh kept surprisingly calm, knowing that if he let his emotions cloud his fighting, he might end up losing to Hao, even after all of his hard work.

He thought that he might never get to see his friends again if he kept this up, his fighting was far too weak, and so he made up his mind at last. He would hit Hao with all of his remaining furyoku, as Hao hit him as well, and hope that he would not lose.

He charged his furyoku, all of what was left, and Hao did the same. As their attacks collided, a massive explosion was issued to all surroundings. As the smoke cleared, the victor of the match was shown, standing alone in the midst of the lonely and barren wasteland.

He looked around him, smiled, and left on his way back to the Inn. It did not seem that important to Yoh now that he had won, but as he walked away from the place that had caused so many nightmares, he could not help but smile, but that smirk quickly faded. He remembered Horo, and knew that he had to help in any way that he could. He knew exactly where he was, and he hoped that it was not too late for him to be saved.

When Yoh finally made it to the spot, he found Horo laying on the ground, eyes blank looking, and body solitary. Yoh knew almost right away what had happened to him, but telling Pirika was a much different story...

Back at the Inn, Pirika was fairing just as bad as Yoh was. She could not wake Ren, and his breathing was growing shallower by the hour. She wondered why he was still alive, as all signs showed that the attack that had put him in this case should have finished him off instead. It could have been perseverance, or maybe more, but Pirika was just focused on helping him survive, she would ask questions later.

Ren would occasionally cough up blood, but other than that, he did not make any movements, even his breathing was getting harder to distinguish. Pirika knew what could quite possibly happen to him, but she refused to give up, and she could at least make his last day a bit more comfortable. She cried a lot, though that was not how she was feeling at the moment. No, she was feeling much worse than tears could ever express, crying was just a natural reaction connected to the deepest despair.

She looked out of the window, so as not to have to look at her surroundings in this horrible room. It was then that she noticed something else, a lone figure emerging out of the distance, and her heart thudded as she realized who it was. It was Yoh, and normally this site would make her incredibly happy, but she was just the opposite. Her brother was not with him, though he had been battling as well, and Pirika could only assume the worst of the situation. And what could only make the day worse was that he was not wearing the same cheerful smile, more of a weary expression, one of great despair and sadness.

Pirika left the room and ran towards him, half expecting, and hoping for him to smile at her and tell her that it would all be alright, but he did not. He had to tell her what had happened, and so he did, receiving a shocked and aggrieved expression from the young girl. Horo had died in battle, fighting for her, and she felt as though it was her fault all of this had happened. Yoh said that he had buried Horo near where he had died, but not at the exact spot, because no one, dead or alive, deserved that.

Now it was Pirika's turn to tell him her bad news, because no matter how she tried to fight it, it was true. She could hardly talk, but she wanted to confess it, tell someone, so that someone else could share her burden, so that she could have someone to cry with.

"He's dead. Yoh, Ren is gone." She cried even as she was speaking, though she could not help it. Yoh looked at her, and began smiling, though she hated him for doing it, she soon found out why he was.

"_Gone, huh? What makes you so sure?"_ it was then that Pirika felt a hand touch on her shoulder, and she knew right away whose it was...

DarkTaoAngel: I think that all of you know what just happened, and I could end it all right here, but I will not. I owe you all some explanations, so I will be adding yet another, though last, chapter! Please review this one!


	20. More than a Mere Dream

DarkTaoAngel: I know that I could have ended the story with the last chapter, but I wanted to get to 20. If anyone thinks that I could write another few chapters, or wants me to, then I just might!

Pirika spun around to see Ren facing her, beat up and bloodied, but still alive. A smiled lit up her face, and she suddenly stopped crying. He had several scratches, and he looked just as bad as he had when she had left him inside, but there was something different about him. The sight of him almost made her forget all that had happened that day…_almost_. Though Pirika had stopped crying, she was surprised to see that Ren had just started. Tears were flowing down his face, and everyone knew that it took quite a lot to make Tao Ren cry. She wanted nothing more than to run up to him, hug him, kiss him and tell him all that she was feeling, but not in front of Yoh.

They all spent the rest of the evening talking about the previous few days, conversing silently outside in the surprisingly calm night. A lot had stayed the same, though to Yoh, Pirika, and Ren, nothing would ever be quite the same. It all made them think, '_how could anything be happy, be even close to the way it once was, after all that had just happened?'_ But they kept talking; no matter how hard it was, because they had to know what had truly happened.

At some points in their conversation, they cried, and at some points they all felt like laughing, but they held it back, because there was hardly anything to laugh about. Horo, Pirika's only brother, had died just hours ago, though so had Hao. It seemed like every time they won something, they all lost something more in turn. And this time, they never could get it back.

Anna and Tamara returned around noon the next day, having come back from who-knows-where. No one questioned them, and they never told them, the moment was far too delicate to waste on something so worthless. They instead were filled in on the days' events, as well as the rest of the gang, which included Rio, Faust, and Morty. When night fell the next day, and everyone else seemed to have gone back to their lives, though they did not forget, they thought that it best to act normal, and live their lives as best they could, one day at a time. Ren and Pirika alone remained outside, talking about the previous day, fingers intertwined, holding hands.

They held each other close, gazing up at the twinkling night stars together. Now that they thought about it, they always had been together, and no matter how far apart they were from each other, it all seemed as though no days had passed, and time picked up exactly where it had left off. It was as though they had gone back in time, to a much happier life, and had forgotten everything to do with Hao.

There was nothing to talk about, as they both knew everything that was to know about it all, but there was one thing that Pirika had yet to ask, and she had neglected asking up until now. How Ren had lived, even when all odds said that he was to died, one way or another. He did not even have his necklace; he had buried it in the sand before coming back to the Inn, and so the power must have worn off at some point.

"Ren, I have something to ask you. When I found you yesterday, you were… half dead…" she paused for a moment, as the horrifying scenes struck through her mind again, of him lying on the floor, blood surrounding his limp body. She bit back her urge to cry before continuing, "How did you survive? Hao surely could have killed you..." Pirika was at her breaking point, she just could not handle the thought of what she would have done had he stayed dead, and it was just too much for her. A tear slowly slid down her cheek, but before she could wipe it off, she felt warm lips press against hers. The kiss did not last long, but it made Pirika stop crying, because this was her proof that Ren was not gone, and never would be. Now she had happy things to think about, like the first time that Ren had kissed her, instead of when he had left her.

They broke apart, both smiling as though nothing had happened, and for a brief moment it was as though the entire world was put on hold, just for them.

"You never answered my question." Pirika said, still smiling as she made eye contact with him.

"I had something to live for, _someone_ to live for; you. I could not stand to see you cry again, all because of me, I wanted to see you happy. Because I love you, Pirika, I always have."

"I love you too Ren." And for the first time in months, Pirika could honestly say that, despite all that had happened to her, she was able to forget, and move on. The thoughts of her brother never left her, or did all of the fights, but she pushed them out of her mind, so that she could be with him.

Ren pulled her closer, and they shared a warm embrace, as they watched the sun rise, _together_. And together they would always be...

DarkTaoAngel: I might extend this fiction, or I might make a sequel, but for now I am done. I hope that this fan fiction was enjoyed, because I might take a while to write another one. I may even just write a story where the first chapters of multiple stories are in it, like a preview of all, because I can not seem to think of anything right now! If anyone has any ideas, please let me know, and please review!


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